Improvement in machines for untying bands on cotton-bales



S. H. GILMAN. MACHINE FOR UNTYING BANDS- ON COTTON-BALES.

No.171,6.59 Patented Jan-4.1876.

Z'ZLTZ 'sLscs 7 5 0 7 2}, fiqwm w' am Ma aw ZMWM N PETERS.PHOTOJ-ITHOGRAPNER, WASHINGTON, D, O.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL H.'G1L MAN,OF NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA, ASSIGNOR TO I LOUISIANACOTTON-TIE COMPANY. I

IMPROVEMENT IN MACHINES FOR UNTYING BANDS 0N COTTON-BALES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 171,659, dated January4, 1876; application fi led November 11, 1875.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, SAMUEL H. GILMAN, of NewOrleans, parish of Orleans and State of Louisiana, have invented a newand Improved Machine for Untying Ootton- Bale Ties and taking off thebands without cutting them and I do hereby declare that the following isa full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings making a part of this specification, in which-Figure 1 is a top view of the machine out of action, the dotted linesshowing the position of the various parts when in action. Fig. 2 is aside view of my invention when not in use. Fig. 3 is a front view of themachine inverted, one of the handles being broken away. Fig. 4. is afront view of the same in its proper position. Fig. 5 isa view of one ofthe elbowlinks of the toggle lever, showing inclined plane thereon,corresponding inversely to another incline plane upon the rear end ofthe upper jaw of the machine. Fig. 6 is a view of a connecting-joint, bymeans of which the links and connecting-rod are united.

The object of my invention is to unhook the iron bands from cotton-baleswhen they go to the compresses in the sea-ports to be compressed forshipment, and thus permit the bands to be taken from the bales withoutcutting them, as is now universally done, and obviating the necessity ofriveting the out ends together again for future use. I accomplish theobject desired by an arrangement of levers, links, and jaws, by whichthe two ends of a tied band are seized and drawn together sufficientlyto unhook the tie and allow it to be taken out. This arrangement is moreparticularly described as follows:

In the drawings, A A represent two rods or bars, united to each other atone end by a cross-piece, A, which forms handles, or to which woodenhandles may be attached, and

extended so as to form the sides of a triangle,

as shown in Fig. 1. Beyond the base of the triangle thus formed the rodsor bars A A are yet further extended on parallel lines, so as to formlower jaws B of a pair of jaws, B G. O G are the upper jaws, attached tostuds E E of the lower jaws by pins 6 6, so as to vibrate verticallyupon the pivots thus formed, and having a portion of their under surfacein rear of the studs E cut away, as shown in Fig. 2. These upper jawsare also provided with inclined planes 00 on the under surface of theirrear ends, which inclined planes slope upward and inward toward eachother and the central connecting-rod of the machine. G G are links orarms of a toggle-lever, and are provided with elbows F F and theinclined planes 0 0, corresponding inversely to the inclined planes 0 con the under surface of the rear end of the jaws G 0. These links orarms areunited at their elbows to the jaws B G by screws or pins 9 g, asshown in Figs. 1 and 2, and to each other and the connecting-rod Ibymeans of the connecting-joint H. These screws or pins 9 9 pass looselythrough the upper jaws O C, so as to permit the latter to have a freemovement up and down as they vibrate upon the studs E E. J is a lever,connected to the stud K at the point where the rods or bars A A areunited together, and is the means whereby the machine is operated. Tothis lever, at its lower end, and near the point where it is connectedto the stud K, one end of the connecting-rod I is attached, the otherend being joined to the toggle-lever, as above set forth.

The operation of my machine is as follows: When not in use the free endof the lever J rests down upon the toggle-lever. When in this positionthe jaws B of the machine are thrust underneath the tied band, so thatthere will be one jaw on each side of the tie. The lever J is-thenbrought over and back to the position indicated by the dotted lines inFig. 2, which causes the toggle-lever to assume the position shown bythe dotted lines in Fig. 1, and thus bring the rods or barsA and theirprolongations (the jaws B) nearer together, as indicated by theadditional dotted lines in the same figure. At the same time theinclined planes 0 c on the ends of the upper jaws O and elbows F of thelinks G, by their operationagainst each other, elevate the rear ends ofthe jaws 0, thus causing their forward ends to take, in conjunction withthe under jaws B, a firm gripe upon the band, the ends of which arebrought toward each other, as the toggle-lever is moved backward, bymeans of the lever J and connecting-rod I. By thus bringing the two endsof the tied band together sufficient slack is created between the twojaws B to loosen up the tie and enable it to be easily unhooked, andremoved without cutting or in any wise injuring it for future use.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and'desire to secureby Letters Pat- 1. A machine having two pairs of jaws to seize andoperate upon "the two tied ends of cotton-bands, substantially asdescribed.

- 2. The upper" jaws O O, withan incline, c,

onthe under sidesof their rear ends,substantially as described. Y

3. The elbowed links G F G F, substantially as and for the purposedescribed.

4. The combination of the pairs of jaws with the elbowed links G F,connecting-rod I, and lever J, substantially as described.

SAMUEL H. GIL-MAN. Witnesses:

G. G. Course, A. L. ABBOTT. k

